Gaston’s Mill at Beaver Creek State Park (Credit: Ken Drenten).

By Ken Drenten

Gaston’s Mill is one of only two mills in Ohio located in a state park – the other one is Wolf Creek Mill at Mohican State Park. The mill located in Beaver Creek State Park also is one of only a few operating mills in Ohio today.

The mill’s construction began in 1830 and was completed in 1837. James Gaston purchased the mill in 1849. The mill still bears the Gaston family name since the Gastons owned the mill longer than any other owner, except for the State of Ohio.

Gaston’s Mill was powered by water from the Sandy and Beaver Canal until 1886 when it was converted to steam power and eventually to a gasoline engine. The mill operated until the late 1920s.

The mill was in an advanced state of deterioration when the state purchased the land and created Beaver Creek State Park in 1949.

The Columbiana County Forest and Parks Council and the Columbiana County Historical Society worked to restore the mill. Restoration to reproduce the original structure and machinery took 10 years and was completed in 1973.

Gaston’s Mill is now operated by the Friends of Beaver Creek State Park and Pioneer Village and is open to the public on weekends from May through October.

The mill is the centerpiece of the pioneer village, made of multiple log buildings constructed of locally harvested and hewn barn beams and lumber.  The village includes a functional blacksmith shop, schoolhouse, chapel, log cabin, a covered bridge, a large barn and a trading post. Flour and meal milled at Gaston’s Mill can be purchased at the trading post.

Gaston’s Mill operates today at special events including Pioneer Days (Credit: Ken Drenten).

The Friends hold a number of special events each year, including Pioneer Days in the autumn, featuring arts and crafts demonstrations, vendors, apple butter making, and the mill in operation. For up-to-date information on events at the pioneer village and mill, go to the Friends’ Facebook page. 

Beaver Creek State Park is located at 12013 Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool, Ohio. See a video and read more about Ohio mills in Dusty Tires.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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